Economy Class & Beyond

OPINON: The Heathrow Arrivals Experience: It’s still an omnishambles

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Well with this week being capped with waits, the Heathrow arrivals experience continues to be less than optimal. That's missing the point - It's an omnishambles. I flew in today aboard Finnair AY1337 from Helsinki after a great flight with a good crew. Our aircraft arrived at Heathrow, taxied and turned to Terminal 3 - that was at 16:48. It was looking like we would hit … [Read more...]

Heathrow Airport expansion blocked

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It seems the plans to build the third runway at Heathrow have been thrown into doubt, with Court of Appeal blocking it, based on it take climate commitments into account. Heathrow from up high - Image, Economy Class and Beyond  Heathrow Airport will itself challenge the appeal in the Supreme Court, however, Her Majesties Government said it would not, viewing it as a … [Read more...]

Flybe Survives for now… but what next?

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Editors note Yes. After a few days nursing a cold and getting serious sleep – I’m back and ignoring the comments queue. Expect normal service to resume over the next few days as I sniffle my way through a keyboard… and develop my reading skills. It's been a fraught few days for UK operator FlyBe as some companies didn't realise what it was on the hook for - pushing it … [Read more...]

“Single Use” Phone Re-chargers. Don’t buy them. Please.

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This has been on my "to write" list for some time, as each time I see these in various discount shops. The "Power Hit" and "Power Pod" that can be found in certain discount stores could look very attractive at £2 a unit - especially if you're off travelling. The Power Pod. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. There are two sorts - with different connectors for either Micro-B (for … [Read more...]

Hotel Review: Doubletree by Hilton, Southampton

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Time for a hotel check, this time looking at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Southampton. Location: The DoubleTree Southampton is located about 4 miles outside Central Southampton, as a low rise building over five floors. It is located near the M27/M3, or a £12 Uber ride out that far. Check-in: Check-in was pretty much nothing short of omnishambles, with the hotel making … [Read more...]

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey proposes new prices rises all around… “Welcome to New York”

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Nothing says welcome to a city than with more fees levied at a passenger - directly via an airfare ticket, or indirectly via other forms of costs. And the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are planning just that, with them bumping up fees all around once you leave New York JFK, Newark or La Guardia airports. $5 to use AirTrain JFK currently. Expect it to jump … [Read more...]

Examining the Airbus A321XLR

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At the Paris Air Show last week, there was a real star of the show - the Airbus A321XLR (Extra Long Range), which amassed a bunch of orders and interest. Let's dive into it, and examine a few question this new type offers. Expanding the A320neo family Back to basics first. The A321XLR is a development of the Airbus A320 family. As you're aware the A320neo (new engine … [Read more...]

INVESTIGATION: UK ePassport Gates. Some interesting numbers… and interesting data withheld

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The ePassport infrastructure is an important method of clearing passengers into the United Kingdom, with it being the primary method of clearing a European Union/European Economic Area and UK Citizens quickly. But I'm sure we've witnessed more than one rejection from the ePassport gates (and have suffered the process more than once). That led me to compose a Freedom of … [Read more...]

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